Hurricane Comparison :o

[DrewKaree]

The picture shows the approximate difference in size between the extremely large Hurricane Katrina on the left and the merely very large Hurricane Rita on the right. Hurricane Rita reached category five strength on Wednesday, becoming the 3rd strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin, passing Katrina with a central pressure of just 897mb. The good news is that hurricanes can not stay that intense for long and with cooler water ahead the storm should weaken to possibly a Category 3 storm before making landfall possibly in Texas.

[Stingray]

Wow, the entire Gulf of Mexico is one big storm. That's scary.

The good news is that hurricanes can not stay that intense for long and with cooler water ahead the storm should weaken to possibly a Category 3 storm before making landfall possibly in Texas.

I hadn't heard this. That's the best news I've heard all day regarding this storm.

-S

[shmokes]

Are you sure?  Jon Stewart reported last night on the Daily Show that Rita had reached category 12...

[mr.Curmudgeon]

From NOAA:



Hurricane Rita?  ....No, it's a HIMicane, baby!!






mrC

[Stingray]

Now that's a full member.

-S

[ChadTower]

Wow.  Southern Florida, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic are really f ucked.

[Stingray]

Wow.  Southern Florida, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic are really f ucked.

I started to say something similar, but I didn't want to push my luck today.

-S

[DrewKaree]

I started to say something similar, but I didn't want to push my luck today.

-S

What's different about today?  Did I miss some shenanigans or Tom-foolery somewhere?

[Stingray]

What's different about today? 

Must be the pressure change caused by the himicane.

-S

[ChadTower]

The worst part is what happens to those islands inside the, uh, activity zone.  That's a sticky fallout.

[Thenasty]

more power to the people that stays there even after so many storm hits, I'm a coward, first Hurricane/Tornado/etc....that destroys everything on its path, I'm outa there 

[Stingray]

I was just talking to the receptionist here at work. Her dad lives in Houston and he's not leaving. Wonder how many more have this attitude.

-S

[ChadTower]

We'll find out if Galveston goes all Chernobyl on us and Texas becomes unusable for 3000 years.

[Stingray]

Is there a nuclear power plant in Galveston? I haven't been there since the late '80s, but I don't remember ever seeing one there at that time.

-S

[DrewKaree]

more power to the people that stays there even after so many storm hits, I'm a coward, first Hurricane/Tornado/etc....that destroys everything on its path, I'm outa there 

I heard yesterday that X amount of years ago (I think it was in the 30's or something) a hurry-cane hit your area, Nasty.  Those ones that are gonna veer away from the Carolina's or Virginia are the ones that are gonna get you someday.  Better have a kit prepared or some Chad Tower Walking Shoes

[Thenasty]

I heard yesterday that X amount of years ago (I think it was in the 30's or something) a hurry-cane hit your area, Nasty.

[Buddabing]

Is there a nuclear power plant in Galveston? I haven't been there since the late '80s, but I don't remember ever seeing one there at that time.

-S

The South Texas Project is pretty close to there, in Bay City. It's built to withstand a category 5 hurricane.

I personally am not leaving Houston.

[Stingray]

I personally am not leaving Houston.

Really? Can you share with us why? I do sincerly hope that you & your family remain safe. Check in as soon as you conviniently can after the storm so we all know you're okay.

-S

[Thenasty]

yea, check in and let us know how's tha Cab doing 

[ChadTower]

A nuclear power plant, built by the government, constructed by the lowest bidder in every way.  A category 5 hurricane will probably treat it like Stingray treats his bacon.

[DrewKaree]

A nuclear power plant, built by the government, constructed by the lowest bidder in every way.  A category 5 hurricane will probably treat it like Stingray treats his bacon.

What's wrong with a hurricane caressing it and whispering "it rubs the bacon grease on its skin"?

[Bones]

What's with all these big winds you guys are having? Is it just traditional for this time of year or are these freakish occurrences?

[shmokes]

They should be freakish occurrances, but have suddenly become common.  Rita will be the fourth Category 5 hurricane to hit land (at least in the U.S., possibly in teh world) in history.  Katrina was the third.  That's why all the liberals are screaming about global warming.  They blame increased hurricane activity on rising ocean temperatures due to global warming.

[Dartful Dodger]

We should launch a nuke into this one.

[DrewKaree]

What's with all these big winds you guys are having? Is it just traditional for this time of year or are these freakish occurrences?

Rita will probably be a 3 or 4, and yes, this is hurricane season, therefore these AREN'T "freakish" occurences.  It seems like they prefer the lower eastern coast, but they didn't want to leave out the Gulf and make it sad.

The reason it's being hyped so much is precisely because of Katrina and the possibility of "certain doom".  This would be plastered all over the news if this were a Cat 1 just because of the theories of where this might hit.

[Buddabing]

I personally am not leaving Houston.

Really? Can you share with us why? I do sincerly hope that you & your family remain safe. Check in as soon as you conviniently can after the storm so we all know you're okay.

-S

I'm well north of the mandatory evacuation area. I don't anticipate any problems with flooding. There was a tropical storm 4 years ago that flooded large areas of Houston and my house was high and dry.

I am concerned about wind damage, but my house is far enough inland that the hurricane winds will be greatly diminished by the time it gets to my house.

Plus, the hurricane's likely track is east of Houston. The worst winds from what I have seen are on the east side of hurricanes.

My wife's sister got more rain than I did from Katrina and she lives in Ohio.

I'll check in after the storm passes.

[mr.Curmudgeon]

What do you people have against 5-day weekends?  LEAVE!!   



mrC

[ChadTower]

They should be freakish occurrances, but have suddenly become common.  Rita will be the fourth Category 5 hurricane to hit land (at least in the U.S., possibly in teh world) in history.  Katrina was the third.  That's why all the liberals are screaming about global warming.  They blame increased hurricane activity on rising ocean temperatures due to global warming.

It's not global warming, though.  Most respected weather agencies are saying it is a natural ocean cycle.  We're supposedly in for 30-40 years of hurricanes, and then few for another 30-40 years.  That's why all of the "biggest in recorded history" are all around the turn of the century, in roughly the same time period.  The ocean warms and cools in 30 or so year cycles.

[Thenasty]

What do you people have against 5-day weekends?

[Stingray]

What do you people have against 5-day weekends?  LEAVE!!   



mrC

If I thougth I was in the path of a hurricane, I'd evacuate into my shorts.

-S

[ChadTower]

Premature evacuation.  Nice.

[Setabs]

Heh at least the hurricane is just going to pass where Buddabing lives its supposed to hover in my neck of the woods for like three days. 

[mr.Curmudgeon]

DOH!

Please tell me you evacuated, Setabs?



mrC

[Stingray]

That far inland is evacuation necessary? This is a legitiamate question, I really don't know all that much about hurricanes, myself. Wouldn't it just be severe thunderstorms by that point? What actually happens when a hurricane goes that far inland?

-S

[ChadTower]

It loses steam until it dissipates into a rainstorm. 

I suspect those people aren't evacuating the hurricane.  They're evacuating the nuclear fallout from Galveston.

[Setabs]

 Tyler is about 270 miles north of galveston.

Actually all of are hotels are full of people from the houston area.  We have a couple of shelters already open for people, just as others finished closing from Katrina.  The Salvation Army is pretty crazy right now too.

Gas is sold out at alot of stations in my neighborhood.  Rita is supposed pack winds up to 50+ mph and huge amount of rain.  possible tornadoes if we end up on the east side of the eye, but it doesn't look like it know.  I wouldn't mind leaving but I have to work on Sun. night.  and I doubt they will shut down operations at the grocery company I work for.  I was planning on going to a 'going away' party in dallas but those plans are shot for now.  The part that sucks for us is the fact that they expect it to stall over east and north east texas for a couple of days.

Also, I just so happened to run out of bottled water the other day.  Had to wait for the truck to come in at the store I shop at to get any.  They had no bread or tuna they were low on chips and canned goods.  This is probably the worst I have seen this store at and I worked there for 8 years.  The people I this city flip when the weather gets below freezing though.  So I guess its to be expected.

Just I also went to about 4 buisnesses to buy D batteries for a flash light and they were all sold out.  Had to buy a new flashlight from lowes that uses AAA instead.


http://www.tylerpaper.com/site/news.asp?brd=1994&pag=460&dept_id=517481

[ChadTower]

A friend of mine in Dallas emails me every time it snows a half inch to complain about how  they have shut down the schools and roads.

[Setabs]

A friend of mine in Dallas emails me every time it snows a half inch to complain about how  they have shut down the schools and roads.

thats just how it is.  they had snow one year that was maybe 4 or 5 inchs over night that lasted 1-2 days and schools were closed from the night it started till about 3 days later.  I used to live in NY and it snowed like 2 feet one night and school was delayed for one hour.

[ChadTower]

We get a foot overnight 3-4 times every winter, schools don't usually close.

[Stingray]

What can I say. It snows about two or three times a year in this part of the country. We're just not used to the stuff.

-S

[Crazy Cooter]

A nuclear power plant, built by the government, constructed by the lowest bidder in every way.

[Stingray]

Rita has just been downgraded to a catagory 3. Hopefully this is the start of a downward trend.

-S

[RayB]

An inch of snow is a big deal when everyone's using summer tires, many of them balding since it's not as important to have good tread. An inch is all it takes to start sliding all over the place.

[Setabs]

I forgot what year it was but NYC schools  closed for a day sometime in the 90's because of weather for the first time in like 20 - 30 years.

[ChadTower]

An inch of snow is a big deal when everyone's using summer tires, many of them balding since it's not as important to have good tread. An inch is all it takes to start sliding all over the place.

A driver who has half a bit of skill in driving in poor weather doesn't need snow tires.  They help, but you don't need them. 

If you don't maintain your tires, summer or winter, you're going to have a problem.

[Crazy Cooter]

bald tires + rain = just as bad as snow.

I always laugh when stuff gets shut down over an inch or two of snow.  You don't need chains on your tires, just slow down and pay attention.  Snow is fun to drive in  .

[DrewKaree]

I believe it was hurry-kane Fran that ran through the Raleigh-Durham area a few years back.  Big trees (think 3 feet in diameter) were uprooted, numerous power outages, roofs ripped off of houses, etc.  Durham is a 2 hour drive from the coast.  Hurricanes CAN move far inland, but USUALLY peter out quickly when reaching land, unless it's going across FLA.